Last week, Schaumburg police received a report from an elderly resident that a man posed as landscaper doing work for a neighbor. The impostor landscaper convinced the elderly resident to let him inside the house to fill a bucket of water. While the two were in the basement filling the bucket, at least one other offender apparently burglarized an upstairs bedroom. Money was missing from the upstairs bedroom.
Offenders are known to pose as landscapers, tree trimmer, water department workers fixing frozen pipes or low water pressure, public works officials, cable television workers. Running water in a bucket is common because the noise prevents the homeowner from hearing the additional suspect enter the home and ransack the home. Getting a person in the backyard to inspect trees is another common tactic used by criminals. Offenders are also known to meet seniors at grocery stores and offer to help them or follow them home. The also may simply follow them home without attempting to meet up with them at the grocery store.
These scams have been reported recently in Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect and Danville, Illinois.